Carpodacus cassinii

Carpodacus cassinii is found throughout the conifer belts of North America's western interior mountains, from southern British Columbia and southern Alberta in Canada, south through the Rocky Mountains of the USA to wintering populations in northern Mexico^1,2. Migration is erratic, dependent on food supply in the breeding range^1,2. Population trends should therefore probably be viewed with some caution, due to apparent lack of site fidelity¹, but the species has declined by 2.3% annually from 1966 to 2002³.

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: BREEDS: southern interior British Columbia, extreme southwestern Alberta, Montana, and northern Wyoming south to interior southern California, northern California, southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico (AOU 1983). WINTERS: mainly from southern British Columbia, northwestern Montana, and eastern Wyoming south to northern Baja California, southern Arizona, and central Mexico (AOU 1983)

Length: 16 cm

Weight: 27 grams

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

Comments: Open coniferous forest; in migration and winter also in deciduous woodland, second growth, scrub, brushy areas, partly open situations with scattered trees (National Geographic Society 1983), and sometimes suburbs near mountains. Usually nests in conifer, 3-25 m above ground, on outer end of limb; may sometimes nest in deciduous tree or in shrub. May return to same nesting area in successive years, though this may be unusual (Mewaldt and King 1985).

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

In the mountains may migrate to lower elevations after the nesting season. Generally regarded as nomadic, but some populations regularly migrate back to previous breeding area (Mewaldt and King 1985).

Comments: Eats seeds and buds, insects, and berries. Forages high in trees or on the ground.

Usually seen in flocks, except during nesting season. Often seen in association with crossbills and evening grosbeaks. Male defends zone around female during breeding period; female more attached to a particular site than is male.

Maximum longevity: 7 years (wild)

Clutch size is 3-6 (usually 4-5). Incubation, by female, lasts about 12-14 days (Terres 1980). Young are tended by both adults. First breeds as yearling in some areas, at 2 years in other areas (Mewaldt and King 1985).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 5
Specimens with Barcodes: 6
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 5 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2004
  Near Threatened

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions